A new automated Coles customer fulfilment centre has opened in Melbourne’s west, with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology promising to improve online delivery times and streamline the packing process.
The Truganina fulfilment centre, which opened on Friday morning, is the first of two new centres to launch this year as part of a $400 million partnership with UK-based online grocery company Ocado.
In a hub known as The Hive, a team of 700 robots will work together to pick orders, while AI will be used to oversee the bots as they navigate giant 3D grids, bringing the items to team members to be packed.
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Coles says the robots will be able to fulfil an order containing 50 items in only five minutes, while Ocado’s technology will be able to determine the most efficient delivery route, meaning customers will receive their orders quicker.
“We sought the best global technology in the world to reimagine the Coles Online experience here in Australia,” Coles chief executive Leah Weckert said.
“This transition from a local, store-based fulfilment model to a central, world-class facility will enable us to better serve the greater Melbourne region, home to more than five million people.”
The 87,000 sq m centre can hold three million units of stock and, when fully up and running, will be able to process more than 10,000 customer orders a day.
Baked goods and fresh produce will be fresher thanks to an onsite bakery which will bake to order twice a day and a fresh produce area which will cut and package produce to order.
There will also be an extended delivery winder of 5am to 10pm, with later cut-off times for next day deliveries.
A second state-of-the-art fulfilment centre will open next month in the Western Sydney suburb of Wetherill Park.